LOCAL ARTISTS
Local artist adds inspiring sculptures to Seton Hospitals
Healing can take many forms, from medicine to meditation, and many seek relief at local hospitals such as Ascension Seton Hays. Through the sterile doors, patients find more than just doctors and staff with a mission to heal, they find inspiration and peace in the artwork that hangs on the walls and decorates the foyers.
Medical staff are dedicated to helping in the healing process but Seton administration is as well and knows the power of creativity, forming a close relationship with local artist Joshua Farrell to transform the facilities into artistic healing havens.
Farrell has mastered the ability to transform usually hard and cold material such as metal into works of art that exude warmth and hope. Through manipulation he bends and molds the substance into organic shapes which represent trees, growth and life. His newest commission for the hospital is a towering tree which starts in a planter base and then juts out at three points, representing the Seaton logo. From the concrete base grows three strong metal limbs which reach up towards the heavens, intertwining in a dance that explodes into a spherical marriage of metal branches at the top.
Farrell’s inspiration for this piece came from the hospital’s logo, which represents the holy trinity. He paired that with his love of bonsai trees. The biblical proverb states that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Using strong metal emphasizes this bond, locking the interconnected branches into a permanent bind. The proverb uses the tangible concept of rope made of three interwoven cords as stronger than just two. Farrell represents the rope concept through bonsai branches which mimic the twist of the biblical tale.
Farrell has been honing his craft of metal sculptures for over thirty years.
“My relationship with hospitals started in 1997 when I was employed as the facilities manager for our rural hospital in Luling, Texas. While working with Ascension I have always tried to incorporate art into healthcare,” Farrell said.
His first commission with Seton was during their 2008 groundbreaking in Kyle where his ‘Tree of Life’ hangs proudly today. The hospital commissioned him with an expedited deadline so it could be an artistic representation of the hospitals healing goals during the groundbreaking ceremony. Farrell worked hard and had the sculpture ready for the ceremony. The hospital still had to be built so the work lived in storage until its official opening in 2008.
“It was well received and that was the beginning of multiple pieces that I have done for Ascension,” Farrell said.
His whimsical robot sculpture named Victor lives at Dell Children’s Hospital and was actually a donation from the artist rather than a commission. The work was made to honor one of his Seton Luling co-workers, Araceli Martinez who passed away from cancer. The towering robot brings inspiration and joy to children fighting hard to heal, all in honor of his friend and her strength during her battle.
Staff at the hospital have witnessed patients and family members meditating in front of the tree while waiting for their loved ones during procedures.
One can visit Farrell’s work at hospitals across Central Texas such as Seton Highland Lakes Hospital in Burnet, Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin and Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital in Round Rock, Texas. Locals can also find his artwork around Central Texas at the San Marcos Public Library and the Wimberley Public Library. To view more of his artwork visit www.jfarrellart. com.
